Starting device.



- I W. JOHNSTON.

Patented Nov. 8,1910.

in aunches and other small boats. automobile, e. 9., the motor is usually start-*- UNITED STATES PATENT FFTCE.

WILLIS JOHNSTON, OF SCHENECTADY, NEW YORK.

s'remrme nnvron.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 8, 1910.

Application filed August 15, 1910. Serial No. 577,136.

ed by manually turning a hand crank connected to the forward end of the crank shaft, which is extended through the end of the crank case for that purpose. This method isjbot-h inconvenient and dangerous,-

inthat-it is necessary for the chauffeur to leave 'his seat and stand in front of the vehicle during the operation, and in that the too sudden starting" of the motor has been known to strain or .breakthe arm .of the operator.

My invention has for its object the provision of safe, simple and eflicient means for starting the motor, including a frictional engagement between the crank shaft and the starter; and, in its preferred form, means which can be operated from the .chauifeurs seat.-

Further objects ofthe invention will appear in the specification, and be pointed out in the claims.

Figure 1. of the drawings is a rear elevation of-a crank-case of an automobile-motor provided with my device; Fig. -2 is a vertical section through the plane 2-2, Fig. t

Fig. '3 is a partial elevation showing a modification. s

In the drawings, the parts shown in dash lines and marked 11, 12 and 13 respectively,

indicate diagrammatically the floor, side portions and a cross portion of. the under body of the car.

14 is the crank case, 15 the crank shaft and 16, thefly Wheelat'the rear end of the motor, the last iwo' forming part of the-- rotor or rotatingv part of the mechanism of the explosio'nnnotor. The. fly wheel is provided with a rearwardly ext-ending concentric fiange '17. Mounted on the cross ortion 13 of the body or frame of the nar i s a bracket 18, whichcarries a shortshaft" 9, secured in place by a set screw 20, and

slightly eccentric of the wheel 16 and flange 17. On the shaft 19 is mounted for free rotation a wheel or disk 21, shown as bearlng against the face of the fly wheel 16, and having on its free face a concentric series of radial teeth 22, and, as shown, a slight rounded depression 23. To the outer rimof the disk 21 is-secured a concentric. segment 24:, whlch carries one or more, in the present instance three, friction blocks, preferably of hard wood, and marked 25, 26 and 27. As a preferred means for rotating the disk 20 and connected parts, I provide two levers 28 and 29, pivoted on the shaft 19, and connected at their outer ends by links 30 to a manual lever'31, which extends upward through the floor 11 of the car. On

each of the levers 28 and 29 is a pawl 32 I held by a spring 33 in engagement with the teeth on the disk 20., A spring arm 34, secured to or forming part of the'b'racket 18,

carries a rearwardly projecting finger 35,

adapted to easily detachable engagement in the depression 23.

I Referring to Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings, the operation of'the device is as tellows When the chauffeur desires to start the vehicle, he, sitting in his seat, reciprocates the hand lever 31, which acts, through the links 30, levers 28, 29, and spring pawls 32, to rotate the disk 21 in a clockwise direction. This acts to bring the friction blocks 25,26, 27 into successive, frictionalcontact with the inner face of the rim or flange'l7 on the fly wheel 16 of the rotor of the machine, which is thereby started. 'When the rotor starts, the frictional contact of the flange 17 with the blocks'25, 26, 27 carries the disk 21 to the position shown in Fig. 1, where the last block 27 is just being disengaged from con-' tact' with the flange 17. The impulse thus given, aided by the weight of the segment 24, continues the rotation of the disk until the segment occupies its lowermost position, when all the friction blocks are free from engagement with the flange 17 and the fin ger 35 rests in the depression 23. It is obvious that during this last described rotation -of-the disk 21, the levers and links28to 31 are unmoved, the pawls 32 clicking over the teeth 22; and also that the disk 21 would re- "main in its position of rest by gravity, even if the depression 23 and finger 35 were omitted.

All the arts shown inFig. 3 of the drawings are t esa'me in"'construction and funcout departing from my invention, the scope of which'is set-forth in-thefannexed claims.

. I desire to call particular attention to one feature of the construction shown, which consists in providing two awls' 32 engaging.

with the teeth 22 onthe i sk.,21-; the pawls 151 being mounted 0n separate levers which e'x tend in opposite directions from their common pivot 19. The advantage of .this lies in the'fact that if when starting the motor,}it. kicks back,'-that is, starts in the reverse direction, the levers 28 and 29 oppose each other, so thatthehandlever 31 is not moved.

.This obviates the danger of hurting the op-' .erator, which danger is always present in the ordinary crank-construction. It will of course be understood that with my device as shown, the motor, if-it happens to start in the reverse direction, willcause the flange 17 to ride overthefriction blocks 25., 26 and 27 acrainst their frictionaliengagement there wlth, and without lever 31; I

WhatIclaimis: 1. "A motor starting device, including 'a rotor; and a rotatable friction block eccen-l trically mounted with respect to said rotor. and thereby engageablewith said. rotor dur'-' anymovement. of the ing. a portion only-of the. rotation of said block. I

2. A motor starting crankshaft; afly .wheel on said shaft and formed. with a concentric flange;'and a ro f. tatable friction block eccentrically mounted with respect to said flange and thereby-em gageable with said flange during .a portion on y of the rotation of said block.

3. A motor starting device, including ;a crank shaft; a. flywheel on said shaft and forined with a concentric flange; and a' ro-. tatable frlction block eccentrically mounted with're ectto said-flange and having a plurality 0 bearing surfaces successively enga'geable with said flange during a por'tion on y of the rotation ofsaid'block. I

4. A motor starting device, including a crank shaft; a fly wheel on said shaft-and formed with a concentric flange; and a rotatable friction block eccentrically mounted with respect to said flange and having a s ring supported beari surface enga eahle with said flange du i i a portion oiily of the rotation ofsaid blo ek.

. 5. A motor starting device, including a 7 crank shaft; a; fly wheel on said shaft and formed with .aconcentric flange; and a ro- 36 is interposed between each device, including. a I

tatable friction block eccentrically mounted withinsaid flange and thereby engageable the rotation 0 said block.

6. A motor starting device, including a crank shaft; a fly wheel on said shaft and formed with a concentric flange; a disk ec- -centrically mounted with respect. to said flange and rovided with a series of teeth; a friction lock on said] disk engageable with said flange during a portion only of the rotation of said disk; and means for rc tating said disk including a pawl engageable with said teeth and manual means for reciprocating said pawl; 1 7 'Inan automobile, a' starting device in: cluding a crank shaft; a fly wheel on said shaft and formed with a concentric flange; '.a rotatable part eccentrically mounted with respect to said ,flan tion block enga cable? with said flan during a portion 0 the rotation of sai part; and means, includin a manually engageable and carrying a' fric-.- I

ortion above the oor of said autonrgbileif eluding acrank shaft; a fly wheel .on'said shaft and formed with a concentric flange;

said flan e and teeth ;a iction lock on said disk engage able with said flange during a portion. only a disk eccentrically mounted with respect to rovided with. aseries. of

of-the rotation of said disk; and means for rotating-"said disk including a gageab c with said-teeth and a. ever extending above the floor of said automobile.

for reciprocating said pawl.

9. A motor startm flange, a friction block on said able with said flange during a portion only of,'the rotation of said disk; means .for ro tating said disk; and means for detachably engiagfingfsaid disk against rotation'rwhen' sa1 rictionposition. v

10. A motor starting device, ncluding a crank shaft; a fly wheel on said'shaftand blockis in its non-operative formed with a concentric flange; a disk ec-- centrically mounted with respect to said flange and rovided witha' series of teeth;

a friction lock -on said disk" eng'ageable .with said flange during a portion only of the rotation of said disk; and means for rodisk engage device, includinga crank shaft; a fly wheel on said shaft and. formed with a concentric flange; agdisk e tating said disk including two -levers extending in substantially opposite directions and a pawl on .each of said levers engaging with the teeth on said disk.

' WILLIS JOHNSTON.

Witnesses: I

" Geo. L. COOPER,

' F. A. MICHAEL. 

